


Don't Fear (The Reaper)

by aprilwinks (sleepysauce)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 2020 USUK Week, Angst with a Happy Ending, Day 3, Fantasy AU, Grim reaper au, M/M, Memory Loss, Not Beta Read, Reincarnation, angst again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:54:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25161979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepysauce/pseuds/aprilwinks
Summary: Alfred is the accursed Grim Reaper, he wasn’t supposed to fall in love with a dying soul but he does, now all he has to do is convince him to fall.
Relationships: America/England (Hetalia)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Don't Fear (The Reaper)

Alfred couldn’t remember how long he had been killing souls. The job was tiring but rewarding as he could freely teleport and fly wherever he was needed. But the downsides was that he was feared. It felt like he was destined to be hated; the symbol of death. People thought he wore a black cape like the night sky and a scythe to steal souls from. But in actuality, reapers could choose what to wear and he wore a pristine crisp black suit and his trusty  American Colt .45. 

To become a Reaper, he had to forfeit his human memories. He could have reached the afterlife, but he had a feeling that he was missing something. Yet when he thinks of his past self all that he could remember was that he was a soldier in the Second World War, he could remember glimpses of fallen soldiers and shrapnel piercing his skull. But now when he thinks of his past: a confusing ache pulses through his lifeless body. 

2 minutes to go now. Alfred stopped thinking of his past and focused on the present.

Alfred carefully cleaned his Colt and inserted the shiny black bullet in it. It was his signature bullet: a drawing of eagles and roses were engraved in it. Alfred peered at his target and preened. It won’t be long now, he stands up on the billboard. He wasn’t scared of anyone stopping him, he was the Grim Reaper, no one could see him. Just like no one could expect death. Alfred adjusts his belt and grins down. A rooftop wedding, cute yet so susceptible to nosy Grim Reapers.

A clock dinged and Alfred responded.

He carefully shot the groom down in their wedding,  Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or simply a stroke. He was destined for it, the name Scott Kirkland was due to die at 1pm in January 2015. 

Alfred chuckled as the guest hurried to help the groom up, it wouldn’t be for another 7 minutes until they realized he died. Alfred squatted down and peered down at the chaos, the only he could truly enjoy from his immortal life.

Yet, something caught his eye: a figure stood up and raced to help Scott up and immediately brought his phone and called someone. Alfred narrowed his eyes and glided down to the wedding.

No one took notice of him, he sauntered down and stopped. The death time changed.

Scott Kirkland was scheduled to die at 1pm, January, 2015, but was rescheduled to 7:58pm in 2045. Alfred gasped, nothing like this ever happened to him. It had to do with that figure in the crowd.

Alfred was about to shoot another round when piercing green eyes stopped him. He lowered his gun, he was a beautiful specimen of humankind. If Alfred didn’t feel a magical presence he would have guessed that he was an angel. But he was a human.

“Lower your gun, Reaper.”

That was the day Alfred met his match. Arthur Kirkland, age: 22, destined to die in… Alfred couldn’t see his death time. It appeared that Arthur was hiding it. Arthur’s eyes shined in recognition, but he said nothing and motioned for the Reaper to follow him.

* * *

They were in a hospital, Scott was in the other room, pumped life through machines. Alfred was finally recovering when he realized that Arthur had the Sight. The ability to see other beings in a different dimension.

“How can you see me?”

“I have the sight, why’d you shoot my brother?”

“He was supposed to die,” Alfred responded easily, he was trying to analyze Arthur’s death time, he was a male so he would die in his early eighties, but he had the whiff of smoke, so a smoker huh?

Subtract 20 and he was left with around 20 years left. Somehow this unnerved Alfred, he doesn’t understand why. 

“I see, I’m assuming he will die another time then?”

“Yes, actually, that’s what I wanted to ask you. How did you save him?”

“You’re the Grim Reaper, Find out yourself.”

Arthur grinned and walked off. Alfred couldn’t deny that he was interested in the man. He rushed after him. But when he followed him to Scott’s room, he vanished. Alfred kicked the trash bin and sighed out. The most interesting case happened and now he already lost him.

It wouldn’t be for another 10 years that Alfred met Arthur again. It took all those years to find out how he saved his brother’s life. All those years thinking of Arthur. All those years tracking for emerald eyes and golden scruffy hair.

Alfred entered the hospital room without knocking, he waited too many years to knock.

“I found out how you saved him.”

“Oh hello, reaper, I can’t say I missed you.”

Arthur was dressed in a disgusting cyan hospital gown, it was ugly on his slender frame. Arthur should not be wearing that, he should still live for another 10 years. But Alfred could see his life energy weaning out. Yet, he was smiling as he said that.

“Why did you do it?” Alfred marched over and grabbed Arthur’s collar and pulled him up. He giggled and was simply amused at the Reapers antics.

“I had to save him, a life for a life, right?” Arthur stared at Alfred as if he was trying to say something. Alfred was upset that he wasn’t fearing him, he was death incarnate for crying out loud. Yet, Arthur bore a pleased smile.

“Shouldn’t you fear me?”

“No, not at all, in fact, I’m quite happy I get to see you one last time.”

Alfred’s eyes widened and he let go of Arthur and crumbled on his hospital bed. It felt like someone had unlocked his head and everything was pouring out. Memories surged around him: two men cradling each other in the dead of the night, gunshots and a worn out smile and simple love in the trenches.

“Do you remember Alfred?”Arthur grabbed Alfred’s hands and squeezed them, “You saved me that night and then you had to die,” Arthur was crying now. “And I went through so many reincarnations just to see you again,” Arthur pulled Alfred closer and kissed his forehead. “Yet I never expected to see you as Death.”

Alfred didn’t notice that he was crying, he embraced Arthur’s feeble body and held him closer. Arthur’s grasp was weak, yet he still held on and snuggled against him. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. He was supposed to live for another 30 years. He felt Arthur’s clock was ticking, no wonder why he couldn’t see his death time, with how many reincarnations he had been through he was practically immortal.

“You won’t be hurt in the afterlife.” Arthur nodded and caressed Alfred’s soft pale hair and mummerd, it was still the same shade of wheat fields. Alfred was sobbing on Arthur’s chest, he still smelled like fresh rain and roses and tea.

Alfred had to do something to save Arthur, he had to think of something to save him! Wait, Alfred stopped crying and he suddenly pulled up and gazed at his past lover's face

“Would you let me?” Alfred was giving Arthur a way out, a way for them to be together. Arthur waited too many lifetimes and nodded his head softly.

Alfred pulled Arthur’s chin to his and stroked his soft cheeks, he kissed him with all the fervent longing he has housed for centuries and finally understood the warm confusing feeling that poured over him. 

All Arthur saw next was white and a familiar loud laughter as they plunged into their next life together.

  
  



End file.
